John Pell, Ph.D., Provost & Executive Vice President
Aaron Putzke, Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Timothy Wilkinson ’16, Ph.D., Dean, School of Business
Rebecca O’Brien, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Chair, School of Education
Michael Ediger, D.H.Sc., Dean, School of Health Sciences
INVOCATION
Stacy Withrow Hill ’98, Ed.D., Associate Provost & Registrar
SCRIPTURE
Esther 4:12-17
Grant David Habersetzer, Master of Science: Financial Planning, Class of 2025 Acts 8:26-31
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
“For Such a Time as This”
HYMN
Holy, Holy, Holy
Kaleigh Nicole Bauerle ’23, Master of Arts: Behavior Analysis, Class of 2025
Mark Baird, Psy.D., Associate Professor and Faculty President
Song Leader: Marie F. Curtis, Master of Education: Social Emotional Learning, Class of 2025 Piano: Joy Zickau
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who wert, and art, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinfulness Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky and sea; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
STUDENT SPEAKER
Sophia Sumner, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Class of 2025
CONFERRAL OF GRADUATE DEGREES
Scott McQuilkin ’84, ’88, Ph.D., President
John Pell, Ph.D., Provost & Executive Vice President
Stacy Withrow Hill ’98, Ed.D., Associate Provost & Registrar Graduate Program Deans and Directors
ALMA MATER
Centennial Text, 1990 Lyrics by Leonard A. Oakland and Darrell Guder
Song Leader: Marie F. Curtis, Master of Education: Social Emotional Learning, Class of 2025
Piano: Joy Zickau
Centennial text by
BENEDICTION
John Pell, Ph.D., Provost & Executive Vice President
RECESSIONAL
Angus Scott Pipe Band
The audience will remain seated until the graduates have recessed.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER 2025
Mark Baird is the outgoing Whitworth faculty president and the incoming director of Whitworth’s Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy Program. Baird has taught in the Whitworth Psychology Department since 2012. He has a clinical psychologist practice and has taught in the MFT program for many years. Before coming to Whitworth, he was the team leader/chief of the Tacoma and Federal Way Veterans Centers, serving combat veterans and their families. He has also served as a staff psychologist in the Army as a captain and served in Iraq as the assistant chief of clinical operations on the Combat Stress Control Team.
GRADUATE DEGREE CANDIDATES
Master of Arts in Teaching: Gifted & Equitable Instruction
Vanessa Kaufman Spokane Valley, Washington
Master of Arts: Administrative & Nonprofit Leadership
Greta Dauer Spokane, Washington
Connor DeLap Phoenix, Arizona
Joshua Grimes Spokane, Washington
Kalen Hanaoka Honolulu, Hawaii
Elysée Kazadi Spokane, Washington
Raul Sanchez Jr. Pasco, Washington
Master of Arts: Marriage & Family Therapy
Will Baker Portland, Oregon
Anthony Bennett Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Katherine Campbell Oxnard, California
Christopher Clay Tacoma, Washington
Emily Kay Cziglenyi Kennewick, Washington
Shelly Donovan Spokane, Washington
Natalie Richele Eucker Olympia, Washington
Jarred E. Ford Naples, Florida
Nathan Ghering Deer Park, Washington
Brooke-lyn Margaret Good San Jose, California
Jennifer Guglielmo Spokane, Washington
Chelsea Lee Hansen Spokane Valley, Washington
Heidi Jantz Spokane, Washington
Heather Marie King Spokane, Washington
Eunice Kutsar Spokane, Washington
Christopher Laird Spokane, Washington
Kalila Windy May Spokane, Washington
Marshall Brody McLean Spokane, Washington
Reagan Scout Newkirk-Ho Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Kristina Prikhodko Edmonds, Washington
Rachel Randall Spokane, Washington
Jesse Clayton Richner Spokane, Washington
Alexandr Skrobko Otis Orchards, Washington
Stephen Howard Somerville Spokane, Washington
Kassandra Thierauf West Linn, Oregon
Michelle Villanueva Spokane, Washington
Grace White Mount Vernon, Washington
Horizon Sophia Christine Worden Rimrock, Arizona
Katelyn Yost Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Master of Arts: Behavior Analysis
Kaleigh Nicole Bauerle Belgrade, Montana
Nathan Lipton Richland, Washington
Hope Ann Matthews Spokane, Washington
Kassandra Marjorie Matveev Spokane, Washington
Hunter Mosman Salem, Oregon
Mathew Scott Spokane, Washington
Matthew Lawrence Tullis Kirkland, Washington
Angelina P. Wooten Anaheim, California
Master of Education: Teaching & Learning
Julia Grace Auch Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Natalie Cominiello Spokane, Washington
Simon Mai Spokane, Washington
Megan Muñiz-McAleavey Aberdeen, North Carolina
Joselyn Rebecca Pierce Almira, Washington
Veronica Grace Roth Spokane, Washington
Rachel Louise Ruff Spokane, Washington
Master of Education: Educational Administration
Scott Anthony Frueh Spokane, Washington
Corissa LaChelle McAuley Spokane, Washington
Camille Wharton Spokane, Washington
Master of Education: Montessori
Wasan Alani Portland, Oregon
Delia Albert Portland, Oregon
Ashley Mae Anderson Sonoma, California
Agnes Abella Ballesteros Manila, Philippines
Chen, Wan-Yun (Annie Chen) Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Gabrielle Clark Spokane, Washington
Ashley David Mandan, North Dakota
Marsida Gostivari Hong Kong
Taylor Holter Soquel, California
Leung Sze Wing Hong Kong
Sarah Timmel Magno Washington, D.C.
Kimberly Jo McCabe Kailua, Hawai‘i
Savannah Joy McClellan Tacoma, Washington
Mallory C. Miller Palatine, Illinois
Manamaya Rayanalynn Peterson Portland, Oregon
Yeama Zakiatu Rahim Atlanta, Georgia
Zoe Jordan Shulevitz Portland, Oregon
Veronica Darlene Smith Moscow, Idaho
Shaine G. Son Manila, Philippines
Kristin Tosello Aptos, California
Master of Education: Counseling Studies
Marisa Rae Fairbanks Spokane, Washington
Master of Education: School Counseling
Katie Elyse Anderson Spokane, Washington
Catherine Ann Beadle Spokane, Washington
Elizabeth Roby Beazer Bothell, Washington
David A. Buldenko Colbert, Washington
Isabelle Donahue Spokane, Washington
Aury Harmon Spokane, Washington
CaraLee Rose Howe Spokane, Washington
Deidra F. Kelly West Richland, Washington
Pamela A. Kidder Spokane, Washington
Victoria Mohtes-Chan Davis, California
Erica Peacock Spokane, Washington
Corbin Angela Smith Spokane Valley, Washington
GRADUATE DEGREE CANDIDATES
Reilly Spurlock Spokane, Washington
Jacob Wash Spokane, Washington
Master of Education: Social Emotional Learning
Carlee Rae Crusselle Spokane, Washington
Marie F. Curtis Helena, Montana
Tristandoss Davis Spokane, Washington
Sorayya Mohammadi Spokane, Washington
Karli Gaye Pound Spokane, Washington
Master of Education: Educational Studies
Andrew Fuehrer Helena, Montana
Master in Teaching: Elementary
Eric Eagleburger Spokane, Washington
Devin Haley San Diego, California
Sara Aileen Jones Spokane, Washington
Adrian Melendez Spokane, Washington
Nicholas Rudy Ritter Spokane, Washington
Jacob Robblee Bellevue, Washington
Daniela Symonenko Irpin, Ukraine
Master in Teaching: Secondary
Adrian Alvarez Tacoma, Washington
Lilli Carruthers Spokane, Washington
Luke Elliott Davis Spokane Valley, Washington
Georgia Louise Goff Spokane Valley, Washington
Zack Halma
Spokane, Washington
Brooke Hosmer Spokane, Washington
Jayden Matthews Westport, Washington
Taylor McCarty Blaine, Washington
Casey Charles Prociw Spokane, Washington
Alyssa Rodriguez Spokane, Washington
Olivia Sine Spokane Valley, Washington
Emmaline Sylvester Spokane, Washington
Melanie Beth Torrez Liberty Lake, Washington
ACADEMIC REGALIA
Academic regalia is a tradition dating from the Middle Ages, when long robes and hoods were everyday attire designed to protect against the cold and drafts of medieval university halls.
The many variations in academic dress are not incidental, but are rich in meaning. Each costume represents both the degree held by the wearer and the institution that awarded it. While in Europe each university has been free to adopt whatever design it wishes, a considerable degree of standardization has been achieved in the United States. Some of the elements of the code of academic dress follow.
HOOD: The hood, which is draped down the back, carries more symbolic significance than any other part of the costume. The border, extending over the shoulders to meet in a “V” at the front, indicates by its colors the discipline in which the degree was earned. Colors for some of the faculties are white (arts, letters, humanities); cream (social science); dark blue (philosophy); light blue (education); scarlet (theology); pink (music); golden yellow (natural science); lemon (library science); nugget (business, accounting); and sage green (physical education).
The lining of the hood, partly exposed, is in the colors of the degree-granting institution (for Whitworth, crimson and black). Doctoral hoods are longer than those of master’s degree recipients and have a wider border. Recipients of the bachelor’s degree do not wear hoods.
GOWN : Black gowns are the rule, but a few universities use other colors. A doctor’s gown is recognizable by the three horizontal velvet bars on each sleeve, either in black or in the color of the discipline in which the degree was granted. Typically, a doctor’s gown also has velvet panels down the front. The typical gowns for master’s degree and baccalaureate degree candidates do not have decorated panels or sleeves.
CAP : The familiar hard-topped mortarboard, or Oxford cap, has long been standard, but a soft tam is increasingly common. The tassels are usually black or the color of the discipline. The tassel on a doctor’s cap is usually metallic gold.
THE BANNERS
The banners carry the Celtic cross, representing the university’s Scottish Presbyterian heritage, and the seal of Whitworth University. These banners are a permanent part of the commencement exercises.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
As followers of Christ, we are compelled to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. It is our love of God and neighbor that leads us to offer the following statement: a xest sxľxaľt. Welcome, everyone. We acknowledge
that we gather today on the traditional homelands of the four bands of the Spokane Tribe of Indians: Sntut úlixw, Snxwméne , Scqesciłni and Sčewile . Since time immemorial, the Spokane Tribe of Indians has lived prosperously on this land, identifying themselves as “sqélix w,” or “flesh of the land.” We pay our respects to their Elders – past, present and emerging – and we acknowledge their continuing connection with the land, waters and culture. We honor God with gratitude for the land itself and the peoples who have fished, hunted, harvested and gathered here for generations. This acknowledgment recognizes the first custodians of this land, the suffering they endured, and the continued restoration and healing needed. It is important to understand the history that has brought us to reside here, because such understanding fosters a more united community that honors and embraces the first peoples of Spokane. We thank the Spokane Tribe members for sharing their stories, culture and language to develop this welcome. lem lmtš šey u hoy.
THE QUASQUICENTENNIAL PINECONE
Whitworth’s ceremonial icon, to be carried at commencement, convocations and other official university ceremonies, is the Quasquicentennial Pinecone. The icon was commissioned and presented to the university by President Beck A. Taylor to honor the institution’s 125th anniversary, in 2015. It was designed by Professor of Art & Design Katie Creyts and was first used at Spring Convocation 2016. The icon depicts the cone of the ponderosa pine, long a symbol of Whitworth’s beautiful tree-lined campus. Crafted of cast bronze and glass, the Quasquicentennial Pinecone reflects a lamp of learning as well as the characteristics of the cone itself. The top of the piece includes a quotation from the original 1890 Whitworth College catalog, and 12 of the castglass pinecone scales feature moral and intellectual virtues that reflect the Whitworth community’s highest aspirations for its members. The text for each of the virtues was handwritten by a different member of the Whitworth community, signifying that from many voices and perspectives, we come together as a single body, united in celebration of and dedication to Whitworth’s Christian mission.
CLARIFICATIONS
(1) Participation in commencement and inclusion in the commencement program do not guarantee official granting of a degree. Each graduate office verifies completion of all degree requirements for master’s degree candidates. The registrar’s office then completes the final degree requirement verification and posts all completed degrees. (2) The official document verifying degree completion is the Whitworth transcript, signed and sealed by the registrar. . ’
